With the FedExCup officially over, the next big thing in the golf world is the 2026 Presidents Cup. The biennial team event will take place September 24th through the 27th at Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois. Here, the United States will face an International team made up of players from outside Europe. Among the 24 players headed to Medinah, one name on the American roster might be a little unexpected. That of 21-year-old rookie Jackson Koivun.
From Auburn to Team USA
In a decision that only adds to his remarkable first season as a professional, U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker selected Koivun as one of his six captain’s picks Tuesday. His decision will see the former Auburn star play at his first Presidents Cup just months after turning professional.
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For Koivun, the rise has been almost impossible to imagine. He turned professional in June after an impressive amateur career. It took just three professional starts for Koivun to claim his first PGA Tour victory. At the 2026 3M Open, Koivun defeated world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler by three strokes, shooting 25-under 259 and setting the tournament’s 72-hole scoring record.
The win immediately added to the hype that was already growing about the young golfer. What had started as an impressive move into professional golf quickly turned into a question. How far could Koivun go?
The Rookie’s Rise
First, conversations about Koivun making the FedExCup Playoffs started to happen. When he did just that, those were followed by whispers of if he would make the Presidents Cup team. While Koivun believed in himself and knew the possibility was there, he wasn’t taking anything for granted.
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“It’s been weighing on me a little bit and people talk about the Presidents Cup like I should be on the team,” Koivun said. “Simply, I know I can go out there and play and win for the Presidents Cup, I just don’t think I’ve proved that yet to the captain. It definitely weighed on me a little bit and I knew if I made it to the top 30 [and advanced to the Tour Championship] there’d be a decent chance, but even just getting into the playoffs and going out and playing some good golf was a really fun experience.”
Koivun finished the regular season No. 70 in the FedExCup standings, earning the final spot in the Playoffs. That made him the first PGA Tour University No. 1 or PGA Tour University Accelerated graduate to qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs in the same season he accepted PGA Tour membership.
His season continued in Memphis, where he finished T24 at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Although he did not advance to the BMW Championship, his first season as a professional had already seen success. And would continue to do so, with Snedeker watching.
Before announcing the captain’s picks, Snedeker spoke highly of Koivun, calling him a “generational player.” He emphasized that his decision would ultimately come down to which players gave the United States the best chance to win. On Tuesday, Snedeker made his decision official.
Jackson Koivun Joins Presidents Cup
Koivun will join Chris Gotterup, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay and Jacob Bridgeman as the six American captain’s picks. Three of which, Koivun, Gotterup and Bridgeman, will be making their Presidents Cup debuts. They will join the six automatic qualifiers: Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Sam Burns, Russell Henley and Collin Morikawa.
At just 21 years old, Koivun is the second-youngest American ever selected for a Presidents Cup, behind only Jordan Spieth, who made the U.S. team at age 20 in 2013.
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Just 3 months ago, Koivun was playing college golf at Auburn. Now, he is set to stand alongside the top golfers in the world like Scheffler, Schauffele, Thomas and the rest of Team USA, representing the United States in one of professional golf’s premier team competitions.
The Presidents Cup is played every two years. It pits the United States against an International team made up of players from outside Europe. European players instead compete for the Ryder Cup, which alternates with the Presidents Cup.
The Americans enter Medinah as heavy favorites, having won the last 10 Presidents Cups. The International team, captained by Geoff Ogilvy, will be looking to end that run when play begins Sept. 24.
For Koivun, its another chance to show off his skills. He said before the selection that he believed he could go out and win for the United States. Now, he gets the chance to prove it.
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